Get Guardian on Google35 firms, individuals in Africa receive awards for excellence
Seplat Energy Plc has reaffirmed the importance of workplace safety in business leadership, declaring that companies cannot consider themselves profitable if workers lose their lives under their watch.
Seplat Energy Plc Chief Executive Officer Effiong Udofia Okon made the declaration during the 2026 Africa Safety Congress and Awards (AfriSAFE), a two-day event themed ‘Safeguarding Lives, Securing the Future’, held on November 6 and 7 at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana.
The Seplat Energy CEO, drawing on his experience in the energy industry, described the emotional and human cost of workplace fatalities, stressing that protecting employees must remain a fundamental responsibility of corporate leadership.
He recalled his experience with workplace fatalities and the difficult responsibility of informing families who have lost loved ones in industrial incidents.
“I have been in the industry for a very long time, and I have seen fatalities. I have led fatalities, and it is not where you want to be. There is nothing as bad as having to call a spouse and say we just lost your partner. It is tough, and it is real,” he said.
Okon, who commended AfriSAFE for its continued advocacy, encouraged the organisers to sustain their efforts towards improving safety standards across the continent.
He noted that organisations have no meaningful future without a commitment to protecting human lives, adding that Seplat Energy takes workplace safety extremely seriously.
He therefore pledged the company’s continued support for AfriSAFE, stating that Seplat Energy Plc would continue to sponsor the initiative.
Meanwhile, beyond the discussions on workplace safety and corporate responsibility, the 2026 edition of AfriSAFE also recognised 35 organisations and individuals for their contributions to safety, sustainability, environmental stewardship and leadership across Africa.
Among the major corporate winners were Seplat Energy, named Energy Company of the Year; Puma Energy Zambia, which received the ESG & Sustainability Impact Company of the Year award; Sunbelt Global Concepts, which received the Agricultural Company of the Year award; and the Bank of Industry (BoI), which received the Institutional Impact Award.
Vulcan Mozambique won the Corporate Social Impact Company of the Year, Hormuud Telecom was named Telecommunications Company of the Year, and Spiro was recognised for Sustainable Mobility, Environmental Impact & Responsible Operations, among others.
Government and institutional leadership also featured prominently, with the Akwa Ibom State Government and the Générale de la Sécurité et Santé au Travail (DGSST) receiving the Government Safety Leadership Award, and the Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Lanre Moojola, receiving Special Recognition in Institutional Support of Safety.
Individual award recipients include former CEO of Zambia Sugar, Rebecca Katowa, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award, among others.
In his closing remarks, AfriSAFE Chief Executive Officer, Femi Da-Silva, thanked the judging panel for their contributions to selecting the award winners.
